4 Year Anniversary in Wealthy Affiliate (June 2014)
Somehow another year has passed and I've now been at Wealthy Affiliate for 4 years. My personal tradition is to write up a review of what happened during the previous year as well as goals for next year. It not only keeps me on track to achieve more and more each year, but also reminds me of how far I've come because it's easy to forget all that you've accomplished.
Plus, I think it gives newbies great insight into how things progress over time. I'll provide a link below to my previous years posts.
Here were my goals for Year 4 in WA - let's see how I did.
- 1) Figure out Adwords and make some money with it - Done
- 2) Increase monthly income by 30% Done
- 3) Continue consistently with YouTube, Podcasts, and tutorials 1/2 Done
- 4) 1000 visitors per day to my WA promotion site Done
- 5) Double traffic to 2 old websites 1/2 Done
- 6) Remember my goals and check them often! Done
The goals I didn't fully finish were done so on purpose. I found that my YouTube videos and Podcasts, while fun, simply were not converting into sales and taking a lot of time to produce. I did about 6 months, then decided to focus on other things.
And though I would have like to exactly double traffic to two of my old sites, I did almost as good, increasing traffic by about 60-70%. I think I could have done more if I really tried harder but I was not as focused as I could have been.
For those of you that know my "Bootcamp" site One More Cup of Coffee, you might be surprised to find out that it's only about 18 months old. A lot can be done in 1 year's time. I hit my goal of 1,000 visits per day, and even made it to Vegas.
What I'm most proud of was that I was actually able to increase my income by about 60% this year instead of my original 30% goal. Not bad. I mean, what kind of job can you go in and ask your boss for a 60% raise? How did I do this?
If you've read some of my previous posts, you know that one of my major mistakes getting started was working on too many sites at once. I learned a lot, but I had no focus. This year I only did maintenance work on 2 old websites (all others fell by the way side), and focused solely on building/growing my Bootcamp site.
What This Means For You
I highly recommend you work on one website until it starts earning money. I guarantee that this first bit of money earned will be a huge motivator for you and you'll probably want to stick with that site. Grow it til you can find a comfortable rhythm, then decide if you want to seek other methods of making more money from this site or to repeat the process with a new site.
If you can do it once, you can do it again.
As you learn affiliate marketing, you will discover that most niches can be written about until the ends of time. If you can make $5 in a niche, you can make $5,000. Still, it can be fun (and smart) to diversify, so branching out into other niches later on down the road could be beneficial.
What's Better?
The most interesting bit of information that you should get from this post today is that both The Online Entrepreneur Certification and Bootcamp are equally good.
From 2010 to 2013 I did the regular courses at WA and was not an affiliate of WA. I was able to build a full time income from this course alone. In 2013 I joined Bootcamp and started promoting WA to the great folks out there looking for a legitimate way to earn income online.
The earning potential of being a WA affiliate was equally good, so choose the course that fits you best, because you can succeed with either one.
Goals for 2015
I'm always up for raising the bar, so I'm going to make 2015 a big year for me. Here are my goals.
- 1. Double my income by any means necessary
- 2. 5,000 visits per day to One More Cup of Coffee
- 3. Make at least $100/month from my beer site
A Peek Into The Past
I've been at WA for a few years, so don't be discouraged if what I've written here seems a bit out of this world or beyond you because it isn't. I started out as a newbie too. Here's proof.
- 1 Year Anniversary (2011)
- 2 Year Anniversary (2012)
- 3 Year Anniversary (2013)
I'm already looking forward to writing my 5 year anniversary - Good luck with all your online business endeavors guys!
Recent Comments
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Congratulations Nathaniell and thank you for doing a post such as this, it really is extremely helpful to the newer members of WA who often are left wondering what the long timers experience with success has exactly been like.
If more of the long timers would do this, I have no doubt WA membership would climb dramatically. You are a trend setter and an inspiration to the rest of us, Thanks again,
Jack : )
Very interesting post, thank you. I have to admit I did not realise that you were actually doing that well, i.e. making Vegas.
A 30% monthly increase on income is some achievement (unless of course you were only making a couple of bucks to begin with) - but a 60% increase in traffic surely isn't equivalent to a 60% raise in income?
I considered YT but I think the video boom has gone now, there's just so much on there and i reckon most people look there for entertainment rather than advertising type videos. However it is extremely useful for adding a video to your product reviews.
1. It adds content
2. It breaks up the text
3. It makes your site look a lot more professional and official, especially if you use a manufacturer's promotional video
This may vary of course depending on your niche
You're absolutely right Gary. I chopped this article up while editing it and that should have been written a bit further down where I discussed surpassing my 30% goal. I'm fixing that part now!
I only hope I'm half way to where you are in the next 4 years. Seems like a long road to nowhere at the moment.
Everyone's road is different. There are some people that have done way better than me. I find myself wondering, "Why can't I get that" but I have to concentrate on what works for me. I know you've been here a while and you are a knowledgeable guy. It will happen for you, give it time.
I'm slightly frustrated that I am not getting the visitors I think I should be and I'm really not sure why, and there are things about indexing I can't get my head around (I've seen all the videos and stuff), but I'll keep working it until I do get there. It will come.
Congrats and well done. This is an inspiration to all of us newbies that it can be done if you work at it. Thanks to you I found WA and I am enjoying every moment.
Looking forward to hearing about year 5
You are an inspiration, Nathaniell! Congratulations! I have been at WA for eight months now and my site is coming on nicely, not earning from it yet though. I've had a few WA referrals from postings on FB and Twitter, and have been toying with the idea of doing bootcamp now.
Do you think I should, or wait for my niche site to start making money first?
Best of luck for Year 5!
Lydia.
Congrats Nathaniell and thanks for the much needed inspiration! I am looking forward to your 5th anniversary. ;) - Jane
Thanks Nathaniell, It's great vision to see your success as we experience similar journeys. You have proved persistence does pay off, and makes it all worthwhile in the end. Thanks again buddy.
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Congratulations, Natheniell.
Great post! Most encouraging as well as inspiring to me.
Just starting out, so a little daunting also, but I guess its taking a step at a time and never giving up. Keep it up, mate!